The origin of the name of the Maldives islands is as surprising as their history is interesting. Numerous nations tried to rule over this piece of paradise! Initially, the local inhabitants were immigrants from nearby Sri Lanka and India. In the 5-7th centuries, Arabs and Persians migrated here. The Portuguese and the Dutch tried to take root here. But Britain won, establishing a protectorate on the islands from 1887 until July 26, 1965 (the latter date, of course, is celebrated as Independence Day). As a result of multilingual confusion, the name "Maldives" appeared - from "mahal" ("palace" in Arabic) and "diva" ("island" in Hindi). The language of the locals is Dhivehi, resembling Sinhalese. But mostly English and other common languages are used in the "tourist" territory.
Piece of nature
The pristine nature of the islands in the ocean is combined with comfortable conditions - it turned out to be a paradise with an earthly essence. During the day, the island boasts sprawling palm trees, a sea of flowers and flocks of fearless fish. At night, you enjoy a clear starry sky, the noise of birds and bats paying no attention to the "aliens".
Due to the mild and warm climate, the most popular "housing" in the Maldives hotels are bungalows. Living in bungalows built on stilts, you seem to merge with nature: you wake up in the morning and go directly to join the ocean. And in the evening, under the starry sky, a boundless "aquarium" with billions of inhabitants attracts the visitors of the island.
The Maldives is the embodiment of the desire to temporarily get away from the bustle of the world. There is no turmoil of an oversaturated and gassed metropolis, no stress, work, or worries. It is enough just to enjoy the fact that you live. Listen to the music of the ocean, wander knee-deep in the water, collecting shells, admire the blossoming of plants. You can feed the fish out of your hands, and admire the local huge turtles.
Despite the proximity to nature, the hotels are comfortable and cozy. Almost each island-resort has a reception, restaurants, SPAs, and an entertainment center. Don't be afraid to lose weight - the menu of most resorts includes both local, Asian and European cuisine. Local cuisine is "borrowed" from Indian cooking and Arabic traditions. Rice in all its forms, seafood, seasonings and hot spices are widely used. The main dessert is coconut in all variations, as well as sweet rice and fruit dishes. The main drink is tea, the locals drink it with milk and a lot of sugar. Locals like sweet raa, which they brew from palm sap.
Alcohol is available here only in bars and restaurants of hotels where visitors from Sri Lanka and India serve (citizens of the Maldives are prohibited from selling alcohol).
